The overall goal of this proposal is to develop and implement a 10-week summer program (Summer Undergraduate Research in Environmental Health Sciences (SURES) that will immerse upper-level undergraduates in environmental health science research. The program is designed to introduce students to the highly interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of environmental health science research that is focused on solving key global health problems. An additional focus is preparing underprivileged and under-represented students for successful careers in relevant fields. The SURES program will leverage the substantial and ongoing efforts at the University of Kentucky driven to enhance the undergraduate experience with the robust environmental health science research programs of involved faculty mentors. Students will be recruited from the Commonwealth of Kentucky with an emphasis on those from the Appalachian region. The SURES program will commence with a week-long session that introduces students to research, laboratory safety and scientific ethics. The students will then experience hands-on research by performing experiments in the laboratories of their chosen mentors. Professional development and a sense of belonging to the environmental health sciences community will be built via student participation in weekly breakfasts, lunches, net- working opportunities, tours of research facilities and social activities including ?movie nights? where films depicting environmental issues will be viewed and discussed. The SURES program will culminate in a poster session attended by the faculty, staff and students of the participating departments. Dissemination of the approaches used in this program and their outcomes will build upon the expansion of the traditional environmental health sciences research training from the graduate and post-doctoral level to the undergraduates at a national level.

Public Health Relevance

The overall objective of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Environmental Health Sciences (SURES) program is to develop a research-intensive program that will introduce students from the impoverished region of Appalachia to the multidisciplinary nature of environmental sciences and opportunities for pursuing relevant careers. The program will provide exceptional training in a wide variety of research areas working with interdisciplinary collaborative research groups who are housed in multiple departments and colleges. In addition, students will be engaged in seminars, outreach opportunities and workshops to prepare them for successful, environmental health related careers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
5R25ES027684-03
Application #
9691352
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1)
Program Officer
Humble, Michael C
Project Start
2017-05-01
Project End
2022-04-30
Budget Start
2019-05-01
Budget End
2020-04-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Kentucky
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
939017877
City
Lexington
State
KY
Country
United States
Zip Code
40526
Rea, Matthew; Gripshover, Tyler; Fondufe-Mittendorf, Yvonne (2018) Selective inhibition of CTCF binding by iAs directs TET-mediated reprogramming of 5-hydroxymethylation patterns in iAs-transformed cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 338:124-133